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Tara McNulty tended bar with maternal warmth and a best friend’s good cheer, treating anyone who entered The Aumont Saloon less like a patron than a member of her extended family.

“She was the person who everybody confided in,” said Kevin Koenen, owner of the pub in Seguin, where McNulty had worked since last year. “So many of our customers became regulars because they knew she was going to be there smiling, laughing, joking with you, listening to what you had to say.”

Those customers will return to the bar this Sunday to say a wistful goodbye to her at a fundraising benefit Koenen has organized in her memory. McNulty, 33, was one of 26 people killed last Sunday when Devin Kelley opened fire at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

Proceeds from the event, which will include live music and a silent auction, will aid McNulty’s two children, Hailey and James, who were wounded in the shooting.

Hailey, 15, a sophomore at Floresville High School, and James, 12, have undergone surgeries and are expected to recover. A GoFundMe page has been created to help them with medical and related expenses.

McNulty’s devotion to her children reflected the boundless spirit of a woman quick to smile and quicker to hug.

“She always remembered what people had told her, and if they were having any kind of problem, she asked about that the next time she saw them,” said Koenen, who hired McNulty three years ago at another bar he owned. “She was always concerned about everyone else.”

McNulty helped out with tasks small and large, whether giving co-workers a ride home or managing the saloon in Koenen’s absence. Last week, when other obligations kept him away, she decorated the bar for its Halloween celebration.

She befriended members of the bands that played the Aumont, including Jeremy Alvarez, half of the Americana duo Broken Arrowz.

“She was one of those people who encouraged you to do the best you can,” said Alvarez, who as the father of a teenage daughter solicited McNulty’s advice about raising her own. “She was a beautiful soul.”

The only child of Lisa McNulty, who lives in Sutherland Springs and could not be reached Wednesday, Tara McNulty had recently started an office job to make ends meet.

Despite the strain of working as many as 14 hours a day and the responsibility of raising her kids, Alvarez said, “She didn’t want you to worry about her. She wanted to know if you were doing all right.”

Koenen dialed McNulty’s phone number soon after hearing about the shooting. When she failed to pick up, he feared the worst.

“She always answered,” he said. “It wasn’t until about three hours later that we knew for sure. It’s been devastating.”

The music benefit will provide a chance to offer a poignant farewell to a beloved friend whose presence will be felt even in her absence.